Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Cape Verde
Cape Verde: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 0.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.7%
Change on year
up 6.5%
World rank
146th
of 167 countries
All-time high
2.8%
in 1984
All-time low
0.4%
in 2019
Years of data
39
1984–2025
Military expenditure in Cape Verde, 1984–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Cape Verde recorded 0.7% for military expenditure in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.5% on the previous year and up 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Cape Verde peaked at 2.8% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2019.
Cape Verde ranks 146th of 167 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Cape Verde, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 2.8% | — |
| 1985 | 2.5% | -11.8% |
| 1986 | 2.3% | -5.2% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | -9.9% |
| 1988 | 1.9% | -9.0% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -48.1% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | -23.8% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | +10.9% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | +50.8% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | -33.3% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 1.2% | +37.6% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | -34.7% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -11.7% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -13.0% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -14.8% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | +14.0% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | -18.0% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | +5.7% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +7.8% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | -14.5% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -11.1% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | +43.3% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | -11.7% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | -16.6% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | +25.7% |
| 2024 | 0.6% | +7.7% |
| 2025 | 0.7% | +6.5% |
Cape Verde compared with similar countries
- Cape Verde's 0.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.4%, 46% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Cape Verde's 0.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.3%, 51% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.8% | 5 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 8 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cape Verde
- 143 South Africa 0.7% compare
- 144 Mexico 0.7% compare
- 145 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.7% compare
- 147 Madagascar 0.6% compare
- 148 Egypt 0.6% compare
- 149 Gambia 0.6% compare
More public sector data for Cape Verde
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2019)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 5.84 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2019)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0013 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2019)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 3.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Cape Verde?
- Military expenditure in Cape Verde was 0.7% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Cape Verde?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 1984.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Cape Verde?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2019.
- How does Cape Verde rank for military expenditure?
- Cape Verde ranks 146th out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Cape Verde?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cape Verde data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product